Golden-hued Madras curry powder Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as a generic curry powder. In fact, the term curry powder didn’t exist until the 18th century when local cooks in Madras (now called Chennai in India's southern Tamil Nadu state) packaged a...
People either recoil in terror or express intrigue when I tell them about one of my favorite comfort foods—Spam mac and cheese. Yes, you read right: Spam--aka luncheon meat--that processed and prepackaged meat product (I daren’t call it real meat!) in a can. Growing up...
Who doesn't love a cookbook giveaway? Just leave a comment on my guest post on RasaMalaysia.com by December 14th where I reminisce about some unforgettable duck. And you might be the happy recipient of The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook. Many thanks to Bee for organizing it! Photo by...
My (baby's) heart beats for sardines Pregnancy does strange things to you. Let me count the ways: 1. Baby brain (If you thought morning-after hangovers were bad … and you have it ALL the time). 2. Multiple aches and pains (Everywhere! Even in places you didn’t know existed). 3....
There are secret recipes and there are secret recipes. Ever since I moved to Northern California, I’ve heard rumors about the famous recipes prepared in the secret kitchen at the An family's Thanh Long Restaurant. (They also own two branches of the upmarket Crustacean restaurants). The key...
My paternal grandmother, whom I called "Oma" As my cookbook launched this past October 1st, I came to the sudden realization that I knew more about the grandmothers I interviewed than my own. And in a reversal of scenarios, one friend whose mom I featured...
Hello dear readers, I do apologize for the lack of blog posts but things have been busy around here. I've started a new gig with Allrecipes.com and as my husband keeps teasing me, I'm about to give birth to two babies! Yes, I am expecting. The real...
Aloo gobi. Aloo gobi. Aloo gobi. Aloo gobi. No matter which syllable, or syllables, I place the inflection on I can’t help but crinkle my lips into a smile every time I utter the name of this popular North Indian dish. And I must say I’ve...
A few weeks ago, I was in Seattle to celebrate my dad’s 70th birthday. That's my mom and dad. The peak of the nasi tumpeng is sliced off first, in the same tradition as slicing into a birthday cake (Photo courtesy of Ricky Raynaldi) My visit wasn’t...
